Today is my children's last day of school, so I am tying up loose ends and plan to take the summer off from book and product reviews. It is so hard to be productive when I become a referee, short order cook, and taxi driver. Not that I'm complaining, but when school gets out, my productivity comes to a screeching halt. That being said, I am going to talk today about pork. It's what's for dinner!

Seriously, the National Pork Board has a new campaign called Be Inspired. You can check out their website for inspiration all about pork. They have all sorts of pork recipes for you to try out and tell you exactly how to cook your pork so you don't end up with dry crispy meat.

I thought I knew about pork, but after checking out the Be Inspired website, I received an education for sure! My family will thank me the next time I decide to have pork for dinner.

*I received the Pork Be Inspired material from the BzzAgent. I am writing this review and all opinions are mine.*

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

I am a big fan of Honey Bunches of Oats. As a middle aged woman with high cholesterol, I am always looking for yummy cereals that have nutritious value in them also. So when I learned about Honey Bunches of Oats, I just had to share my knowledge!

It tastes so good, it's easy to forget it's also good for you!!

10 grams Whole Grain*

6 grams sugar*

Provides 9 essential vitamins and minerals

Brings together 4 nutritious grains (wheat, oat, corn, and rice) into crispy flakes and even more of the crunchy granola bunches everyone loves!

Heart Healthy!~0g Trans Fat~0g Saturated Fat~0mg cholesterol

*per serving

So if you are looking for a great new cereal to try, get to the store and buy a box of Post Honey Bunches of Oats!

*I was provided with a free sample of cereal in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.*

As a BzzAgent, I get the chance to try out all sorts of new products. There are surveys they have their members take, so you can get invited to campaigns for products you like and use. I was so excited to get to take part in the SOBE FLAVORS WITH BENEFITS campaign. I got a kit from BzzAgent that included coupons to use at the store and a bottle of their new coconut water. I let everyone in my family taste the coconut water, but I am saving the coupons to try out other flavors like black and blue berry, yumberry pomegranate, and fuji apple pear.

Here are some things I've learned about SOBE:

*There are over 25 flavors to choose from!
*They do not use artificial sweeteners!
*They have a zero calorie selection!
*You can find a great selection of flavors at the Kroger family of stores!

So I am so excited to stay hydrated this summer with SOBE. We had a very mild winter here in the Midwest, so we are bracing for a hot and humid summer. I plan on taking SOBE with me everywhere I go!

I am a BzzAgent and was provided a free sample and coupons in exchange for telling my friends about SOBE.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

I have been a long time fan of Beth Moore, although I have never heard her speak in person. This is on my bucket list of things I want to do in the future. But until then, I will have to settle with watching her on videos, listening to her on the radio, and reading her books!

So I was so excited to read this re-released book by Beth Moore, a Heart Like His. This book offers 52 chapters about the life of David. There are also discussion questions for each chapter at the end of the book.

The Bible identifies David as "a man after God's own heart", yet this book is filled with the problems, dilemmas, enemies, mess-ups, wrong choices, and failures in David's life. I often-times wonder if God thinks of me as "a wife after God's own heart", or "a mother after God's own heart", or "a friend after God's own heart". And the answer that echoes in the back of my mind is "No. You are not loving enough, kind enough, respectful enough, friendly enough...." And the list could go on and on.

After reading this book and all the scripture verses included, I realize that one day I, like David, will be perfect in God's eyes. In the meantime I can focus on my own heart and attitude and be the best I can be today!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions are mine.*

Saturday, May 12, 2012

I am so excited to share this book with everyone I know. I have never read one of Bob Goff's books before, but he now has a new fan...me! It seems like for the past 4 months, God has been trying to teach me all about love. Not just love for my spouse or my kids or the people who are easy to love, but love for total strangers, love for the difficult people in my life, and love for people I really don't want to love.

So after reading this book, I am even more convinced that I need to love! I am more convinced that I need to love like God. And I am more convinced I cannot do this on my own.

"The world can make you think that love can be picked up at a garage sale or enveloped in a Hallmark card. But the kind of love that God created & demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice & presence. It's a love that operated more like a sign language than being spoken outright. What I learned about the brand of love Jesus offers is that it's more about presence than undertaking a project. It's a brand of love that doesn't just think about good things, or agree with them, or talk about them."
~Bob Goff, Love Does, page 9

The life stories and lessons Bob shares in this book are great examples of love. It is so easy to be cynical in today's world, but reading each chapter is a reminder of the hope and promise the love of God offers.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions are mine.*

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

My favorite laundry detergent, Purex, has launched a new campaign called Let's Be Honest! You can see several videos from this series at the Purex website. You can watch the videos as well as enter to win free Purex for a year! That would make any day involving dirty laundry much better! As a Purex Insider, I love sharing about this great company. I hope to give away some Purex coupons in the near future, so come back soon!